Apple 2 manual Primary Controls and Status Bar, Separator Bars

C H A P T E R 2

Container Views

Primary Controls and Status Bar

An application’s primary controls go at the bottom of its main view, usually on a status bar. A status bar is not strictly required, but it helps to visually anchor the controls. Figure 2-10 shows sample status bars with assorted controls.

Figure 2-10A status bar anchors primary controls at the bottom of a main view

Status bars with assorted controls

Each application can have a different set of controls, but an application’s main view must have a Close box unless the application is the backdrop (see “The Backdrop” on page 2-29 and “Closing a Main View” on page 2-32). Close boxes and other standard status-bar controls are described in “Close Boxes” on page 3-14 and “Standard Newton Buttons” on page 3-22.

On an Apple MessagePad, the status bar is a black line two pixels thick, with end points two pixels from the right and left edges of the application’s main view.

Separator Bars

In a view that may display more than one variable-sized item at once, like the notes in the Notepad, a separator bar heads each item. A separator bar identifies the item below it and carries controls that apply only to that item. Figure 2-11 shows some separator bars in the Notepad.

Main Views 2-11